Flow velocity actuated flowing device



y 1934- A. BOYNTON 1,957,523

FLOW VELOCITY ACTUATED FLOWING DEVICE Filed Nov. 7. 1952 9 Alcxander-Boyht vyil Fm 5 QBM i atenteci ay 8, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC Alexander Boynton, San Antonio, Tex., assignor to Chas. A. Beatty, San Antonio, Tex.

Application November 7, 1932, Serial No. 641,529

11 Claims. (c1. 103-232) My invention relates to pneumatically operated devices for raising liquid from wells. It is particularly adapted for use in oil wells, although it is obviously adapted for use in water wells.-

It is an object of the invention to provide inlets to the eduction tube employed in the flowing of liquid, said inlets being at spaced intervals along the length of the eduction tube and to provide, at each of said inlets, a controlling de vice which will allow the inlet of pressure fluid to the tube only. when the flow of fluid in the tube is at a predetermined desired rate.

I desire to provide a control device which is actuated entirely by the current of fluid within the tube for regulating the rate of flow therethrough. This device is'an improvement upon the structure shown in my Patent No. 1,793,671, issued February 24, 1931.

In the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 is a longitu- 0 dinal section through an inlet control device embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a broken side view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing the manner in which my device may be assembled in the well.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the plane 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar transverse section taken on the plane 4-4 of Fig. 1.

My device is adapted to be used within a well having an outer well casing 1. Said casing is shown as provided with a casing head 2, having lateral lines 4 connected therewith through which air or gas may be forced into or allowed an exit from the well. The flow line or eduction tube 5 is spaced within the casing to provide an annular passage 6 for the pressure fluid. The eduction tube is extended through a connection .7 at the upper end of the casing head and may be connected with a line to conduct the liquid to storage or to a separator or similar device.

At intervals along the length of the tubing, I have shown special coupling members 8 which house the control devices for the admission of the pressure fluid to the interior of the tubing.

These devices may be spaced at regular intervals or may be placed at any desirable position along the length of the eduction tube, depending upon the conditions in the well. I have shown an inlet opening 9 toward the lower end for the admission of the -liquid from the well.

The coupling members 8 are of special formation, including an outer case 10 in which is housed my control mechanism. There is a slotted opening in the wall of the case into which is fitted a lateral projection 11 on the wall of the secured in a circular recess in the valve housing 12. This projection is secured in the opening in the case by a bond of welding material 13, or by solder or some similar leakproof means. There is a radial opening 14 through the projecting side 11 of the valve housing through which air or gas may enter the chamber 15 within the valve housing.

The valve housing has a threaded plug 16 at its upper end with a downwardly projecting stop member 17 thereon to limit the upward movement of the ball valve 18 within said chamber. The ball valve 18 is adapted to rest upon a seat 19 in the chamber. Below the ball valve, the valve housing is formed with a downwardly opening passage 20 into which the post 21 projects.

Said post is formed upon a rod or plunger 22, the lower end of which rests upon the upper end of the actuator 25. As will be seen from Fig. 4, the plunger 22 is formed with longitudinal grooves or corrugations to provide passages along the same through which the air or gas may pass. Above said plunger on said post is a valve 23, which may seat on a shoulder 24 in the passage 20.

- The actuator 25 is a tubular member having an interior upwardly tapered passage 26. There is 8 an outer wall 2'7, which is cylindrical and provided with a lower shoulder 28, upon which a spiral spring 29 may bear. Said spring is adapted to engage at its upper end against a ring 30 inner wall of the case. 10. There is a recess provided at 31 between the outer Wall and the upper tapered end of the interior passage, which isformed therein for the purpose of lightening the weight of the actuator. I provide lateral openings 32 from said recess to allow circulation of liquid thereto.

The lower end of the actuator may ordinarily rest upon a ring 33 secured on the inner wall of the case and serving to limit the downward movement of the actuator.

In the operation of this device, it is to be understood that the liquid will stand at a certain level within the casing and some of the valve controldevices will be submerged and others above the liquid. Air or gas may be turned into the casing under pressure or gas may accumulate from the well to exert a pressure in the casing above the liquid and will tend to force the level of liquid in the casing downwardly, and upwardly Within the tubing. 7

The theory of operation is that, by means of an obstruction placed in the path of flow, power may be taken from fluid flowing through a tube for the purpose of operatinga valve to automatically admit compressed air or gas into the tube; thereby to propel the contents thereof; and by the same means to reduce the supply of gas whenever the velocity of the fluid flowing through the tube should exceed a predetermined rate; and to increase the supply of air or gas whenever such velocity Should be less than such rate of flow. Such automatic opening and closing of the devices results in a constant predetermined velocity of the fluid flowing through the tube.

The admission of air or gas through the devices into the tubing is wholly governed by the velocity of the fluid then flowing, through the tubing; the flowing operation being initiated, with pressure in the casing, by sudden release of pressure in the tubing.

To begin the flowing operation, the well must be standing with air or gas under approximately equal pressure in the tubing and in the annular space between the tubing and the casing, the liquid level (approximately the same in and exterior of the tubing) being well above the bottom of the tubing. Compressed air or gas is then quickly released out of the tubing. Liquid rushes up into the tubing in response to the greater pressure exterior thereof. Each device is closed against intaking air or gas into the tubing by the ball valve resting on its seat in the bottom of the air or gas intake chamber as appears in assembly, Fig. 1. The plunger is resting upon top of the actuator, and the actuator is resting on the lower ring assembly. This liquid now reaches the first device above the level from which the liquid ascent began. The somewhat restricted passage through the actuator offers some resistance to the rising liquid; thereby to lift the actuator, compress the spring, and lift the plunger which unseats the ball valve 18. The ball is of appreciably smaller diameter than is the diameter of the chamber in which it is housed. Air or gas passes the ball and plunger and enters the flow tubing; thereby to increase the rate of flow therein. The faster the tubing fluid flows the more power will be exerted upon the actuator until the actuator will finally compress the spring far enough to raise the plunger valve 23 to seal off upon the valve seat in top of plunger chamber. If the flowing fluid should slow down, the upward urge upon the actuator decreases and the spring forces the actuator downward, allowing the plunger to follow in response to the force of gravity and the air pressure above it. Air or gas again enters, and the flowing velocity is thereby again increased.

Each device thus stands closed against the admission of air or gas into the tubing until a certain velocity of moving fluid is attained by reason of the pressure being released out of the tubing. The valve then opens, and remains open untila certain greater velocity of the fluid obtains at the valve, whereupon the lifting force of such rapidly flowing fluid exerted upon the actuator causes the plunger valve to close.

A predetermined flowing velocity may, therefore, be obtained and maintained by the devices, v each device acting .to admit air or gas into the flow tubing at a certain relatively low velocity of the flowing fluid; and each device acting to close the air or gas intake whenever greater than this predetermined velocity obtains in the tubing.

The devices will close from the top downward as the liquid level is lowered in the well, thus leaving the lower devices to admit air or gas near the base of the upstanding column in the tubing, because the expanding air or gas in the tubing travels at progressively increasing velocity from the lower intaking device to the top of the well, thereby causing progressively more lifting force to be exacted upon the actuators as higher levels are reached.

The devices are spaced at such intervals in the tubing that the liquid forced up in the tubing, when the pressure is released out of the tubing, will encounter one or more ofthe devices. The air or gas pressure to be maintained in the casing is an important factor in determining this spacing which usually varies from 100 to 300 fe t between devices.

t is to be noted that in the use of this device the operation is not prevented by the pressure of the pressure fluid at the air or gas inlet into the device but the device functions to open through the force of flow of the liquid in the tube, and to close again through an increase of the same force when it obtains a predetermined high value. The device again opens when the force of the flow decreases allowing the actuator to be moved downwardly by the spring and pressure fluid acting on the ball.

Only slight velocity of the flowing fluid will be required to compress the actuator spring and cause the plunger extension 24 to contact the ball. This contacted relation between the two valve members continues throughout the flowing operation, during which they remain impinged between the pressure fluid force bearing down on the ball and the actuator force lifting up on the plunger. Whenever the actuator lift greater than the expansive force of the spring plus the pressm'e fluid downward pressure on the ball, the plunger valve will seat and cut off the admission of air or gas into the flow tubing until the velocity declines in the tubing, when the valve again opens, thereby maintaining a uniform predetermined velocity in the flow tubing at that level. The downward pressure on the balls will be constant in all devices, but the upward lift of the actuators will increase toward the top because of the increasing velocity of the flowing fluid as the same approaches the top due to expansion of the air or gas. The openings through the actuators are graduated larger toward the top in order to provide that the expanding lifting medium may pass through them without unnecessary loss of energy.

The spring must be strong enough to prevent the actuator from lifting the plunger to sealing off engagement against the admission of air or gas into the flow tubing before liquid in the tubing has been sufliciently aerated. But the spring must not be strong enough to prevent the plunger from sealing off when the liquid has been i sufficiently aerated.

The upward extension of the plunger may be tapered upwardly; likewise the passage between the two seats in the plunger and ball housing.

Such' taper of the plunger end of the passage 5 1. A flowing device for wells, including an inner tube extending downward into the well liquid, a passage in the wall of the tubing for gaseous pressure fluid, means controlling the flow of fluid through said passage and acting to normally close said passage, means associated with said tube '4 and responsive to the upward flow of liquid in seats in said housing, a downwardly closing valvethe well to operate said controlling means to open said passage in a direction against said gaseous pressure and by an increase in the rate of said liquid flow to again close said passage.

2. A flowing device for wells, including an inner tube extending downwardly into the well liquid, a passage in the wall of the tube for gaseous pressure fluid, means controlling the flow of fluid through said passage and acting to normally close said passage, means associated with said tube and responsive to the upward flow of liquid in the well to operate said controlling means to open said passage, and byan increase in the rate of said liquid flow, to again close said passage, the pressure fluid serving to act on said controlling means to assist in holding the same in valveclosing position.

3. A flowing device for wells, including an inner tube extending downward into the well liquid, a passage in the wall of the tube for gaseous pressure fluid, means controlling the flow of fluid through said passage and acting to normally close said passage, comprising upper and lower valve members, said upper valve being seated by gravity and power pressure, means on said lower valve to engage and unseat said upper valve, means associated with said tube and responsive to the upward flow of liquid in the well to operate said controlling means by taking power from the flow ing fluid to open said passage during predetermined relatively low flowing rates and by an increase in the rate of said liquid flow to again close said passage.

4. A flowing device for wells comprising an eduction tube extending downwardly into the well liquid, an air inlet to said tube, a housing connected with said inlet, upper and lower valve in said upper seat, a downwardly opening valve in said lower seat, means responsive to a pre-" determined flow of fluid in said tube to open said inlet and operative in response to a still higher rate of flow to close said inlet.

5. A flowing device for wells comprising an eduction tube extending downward into the well liquid, an air inlet to said tube, a housing connected with said inlet, upper and lower valve seats in said housing, a downwardly closing valve in said upper seat, a downwardly opening valve in said lower seat, said lower valve being normally open, means actuated by the flow of liquid upwardly in said tube to open said inlet by raising mally closed and said lower valve being normally open, means actuated by the upward flow of fluid a series of inlets in said tube, each inlet having in said tube to move said lower valve upwardly, and means on said lower valve to unseat said upper valve.

'7. A flowing device for wells comprising an eduction tube extending downwardly into the well liquid, an air inlet in said tube, a housing connected with said inlet, upper and lower valve seats in said housing, a downwardly closing valve in said upper seat, a downwardly opening valve in said lower seat, said upper valve being normally closed and said lower valve being normally open, means actuated by the upward flow of fluid in said tube to move said lower valve upwardly, and means on said lower valve to unseat said upper valve, said lower valve being moved to close said inlet when said flow of fluid attains a predetermined rate.

8. In a flowing device for wells, an eduction tube extending downwardly into the well liquid,

means to control the passage of gaseous pressure fluid thereto including, a housing connected with each of said inlets, two valves, one above the other, in said housing, an actuator below said housing responsive to an upward flow of liquid in said tube to open one of-said valves to allow. the entrance of gaseous pressure fluid, and to close the other of said valves when said flow has attained a predetermined rate.

9. In a flowing device for wells, an eduction tube extending downwardly into the well liquid,

a series of inlets in said tube, each inlet having means to control the passage of gaseous pressure fluid thereto including, a housing connected with each of said inlets, two valves, one above the other, in said housing, an actuator below said housing responsive to an upward flow of liquid in said tube to open one of said valves to allow the entrance of gaseous pressure fluid, and to close the other of said valves-when said flow has attained a predetermined rate, said pressure fluid always acting to resist the opening of the upper of said valves, and the closing of the lower of said valves.

10. An eduction tube for wells, extending downwardly into the well liquid, a gaseous fluid inlet in said tube, a valve in said inlet, an actuator in said tube below said inlet, means operative by said actuator responsive to liquid flow to open said valve and to again close it when the speed of flow of liquid upwardly in said tube has attained a predetermined rate. r

11. An eduction tube for wells, extending downwardly into the well liquid, a gaseous fluid inlet in said tube, a valve in said inlet, an actuator in said tube below said inlet, means operative by said'actuator responsive to liquid flow to p n said valve and to again close it when the speed of flow of liquid upwardly in said tube has attained a predetermined rate, said valve being. adapted to open by gravity when said flow again decreases below the said predetermined rate.

ALEXANDER BOYNTON. 

